Hurley ordered by NY to improve the way it washes vehicles

HURLEY, N.Y. -- The Town Board is trying to figure out how to wash the salt off of Highway Department vehicles without violating a state Department of Environmental Conservation order to keep the contaminated runoff from getting into local wells.

At a board meeting Monday, officials said the situation at the highway garage on Dug Hill Road was identified in a review of municipal storm water systems last October.

"We have to sit down with DEC and figure out what we have to do up there in order to wash vehicles," Councilman John Gill said.

Gill said the salt "is going to cause premature failure of our equipment, especially when we're out all winter long sanding and salting and we can't clean them up. We're just digging into the steel on these trucks."

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Highway Superintendent Clyde Russell suggested the town consider a system that recycles water.

"They put the water through a filter system, back in the tank, and reuse it again," he said.

The problem was reported by state inspector Jennifer Zunino-Smith in a letter to town officials last November.

"Vehicle washing at the highway department is currently draining to a bio-retention area onsite, which must be discontinued immediately," she wrote. "Washing must be done in an area where there is no potential for discharge to surface water. The installation of an alternative wash system which eliminates the discharge to surface water would be recommended."

Town Building Inspector Glenn Hoffstatter said there is a 1,000-gallon tank for storm water runoff that could be used for washing vehicles inside the garage.

"There is a catch basin in there ... which the DEC made us close 15 years ago," he said. "I guess the last time ... it was going to get pumped, there was too much oil in it so they wouldn't pump it out," Hoffstatter said. "If we can get that cleaned out and find out if that drain runs to that tank, we can wash it out."

Town Supervisor Gary Bellows said there is an irony in receiving a complaint about salt being washed off of municipal vehicles while the state itself is using a salt solution as a de-icing agent on state highways.

"The state puts down salt brine all on the roads and we can't wash ... salt off our truck," he said.

Russell said the town has been told by a local car wash that there is too much sand and salt getting into the system.